Roots of the Local Food Movement

Photo essay: The locavore movement may seem like a fad to some, but these wartime posters show that equating local food and security has deep roots in U.S. history.

posted Sep 15, 2010

"A Victory Garden is like a share in an airplane factory. It helps win the war and pays dividends too." – Claude R. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 20 million
Americans rose to the call for patriotism and planted a victory garden
during World War II.

Canning, home gardening, and vegetarianism have once again become political actions. Just as Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged victory gardens by planting one at the White House, the Obamas have helped to restart the home gardening trend by planting the first White House vegetable garden since the Roosevelts'.

Ready for AnythingYES! Magazine's latest issue: How to build resilience now for hard times ahead.

Of course, the locavore movement emphasizes local food security for different reasons than wartime propaganda campaigns did: a changing climate, an end to cheap oil, and a difficult economy, rather than the need to feed and maintain armies.